I’ve submitted this one to the OMG (Organic Modern Graphic) quilt movement (https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMGQuilts/) for acceptance as an OMG quilt. If accepted, it will get an OMG #, but until then, I’ve called it ‘Synapse’. Update: Accepted! This is now ‘OMG #31: Synapse’. This art quilt is now available for sale from my Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/605096612/synapse-art-quilt
My interpretation of ‘organic’ for this one was at the cellular level and beyond. It’s a 7×10 piece. How I made it is described below the photo (click on the photo to view it larger).
The background fabric is some old navy linen I had from my dressmaking days, and the synapses are some old pink poplin (or similar) from one of the first quilts I made in the late 1980s.
The base of the quilt is a 7×10 piece of Floriani ‘Stitch n Shape’, layered with some batting, and covered with the navy fabric. I turned over the edges and glued them down (Elmer’s School Glue). Then I used another piece of navy fabric to cover the back, turning under the edges, gluing it to the back, and then topstitching the layers to hold them together. Next, I added Velcro hook pieces on the back as per the OMG guidelines (NOTE: If I did another like this, I’d add the Velcro to the backing piece BEFORE gluing and stitching it to the back).
Next I fused Mistyfuse to the back of the pink fabric, drew the free-form synapse shapes on the back, then cut them out and placed and fused them to the top, making a couple of them wrap around the edges.
I stitched some background DNA-like ladder structures in navy thread (Fil-Tec Glide ‘Navy’, colour 32965), then the synapse applique pieces and their tendrils in a bright pink thread (Mettler Poly Sheen, colour 1950).
The end result is a nice stiff enclosed piece, with some texture and puffiness from stitching on the top and leaving certain areas unstitched to allow them to ‘pop’.
Rhonda Bracey: At Random 
Totally love it !!!!
Love how you have extended the tendrils with the pink quilting thread, it has worked so well. I’m also interested in your finishing process, is it possible for you to post a photo of the back? I’ve made one OMG quilt but it is a larger one which made the finishing easy, the smaller ones aren’t really candidates for a binding finish.
Hi Pip
I took a photo but as the fabric is very dark and the thread even darker, it’s impossible to see. I cut a pierce of backing fabric about 8×11 inches, folded in (and pressed) the edges about a half inch under (to the back), then turned it over so it was right side out, and laid it over the back of the piece to make sure it fit, covered the folded edges from the front AND didn’t show from the front. I then used glue to position the backing piece in place, followed by top-stitching through all the layers to firmly attach it to the main piece.
I hope that helps.
–Rhonda
Thanks Rhonda, that will be helpful.
[…] of ‘organic’ for this one was at the cellular level and beyond, as per ‘Synapse‘ that I created a week ago. It’s a 7×10 piece, and represents xylem cells that […]